Normatively Framed Relative Performance Feedback – Field Experiment and Replication

Abstract

Feedback can help individuals put their performance into perspective, especially when transitioning into a new environment such as university or a different job. In a randomized field experiment we give first-year university students normatively framed relative performance feedback about their accumulated course credits. We find an increase in subsequent performance, but only when the feedback is positive. Using a regression discontinuity design, we show that the improved performance is not driven by unobserved characteristics of those receiving positive feedback, but that it is indeed due to the positive rather than negative nature of the feedback. We administer a replication experiment with the next wave of first-year students one year later and reproduce the results. Survey data provides suggestive evidence that positive feedback has an effect on behavior when students underestimate their relative performance, and that consistent with a mechanism of selective information processing, individuals focus on positive feedback to adjust their beliefs.

Effects of Timing and Reference Frame of Feedback: Evidence from a Field Experiment

“…This effect is driven by students who underestimated their relative performance in the absence of feedback. In contrast, Brade et al (2018) give first-year university students in Germany (normatively framed) relative performance feedback on their accumulated course credits and find an increase in performance only when the feedback is positive.…”

Rank Incentives and Social Learning: Evidence From a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…A secondary contribution of this paper is to provide the first evidence of the effectiveness of continuous relative performance feedback and to show that results on younger, pre-college aged students do carry on to higher education. 11 If the objective of a policy maker is to improve academic performance across the board, our results suggest that students should be allowed to take action right after inspecting their relative performance -effectively giving them the chance to affect their rank almost instantly 12 -rather than updating and revealing their relative performance more infrequently (Azmat et al, 2019;Brade et al, 2018).…”

“…3 From a welfare perspective, the provision of relative performance feedback does not seem to increase stress levels (Katreniakova, 2014), but it can affect satisfaction (happiness and dominance levels) in either direction (Azmat and Iriberri, 2016). 4 The interventions in Tran and Zeckhauser (2012) and Brade et al (2018) also involve university students.…”

“…However, (i) Tran and Zeckhauser (2012) study the impact of rank incentives on the score attained in a standardized, externally administered TOEIC test, while (ii) Brade et al (2018) provide feedback on accumulated course credits; thus, one cannot disentangle rank incentives from the other incentives associated with the tangible benefit of signaling ability or readiness for the job market. they were ranked, but also in all (invigilated) course exams and across the entire grades' distribution; this impact is long-lasting, with positive spillovers to other courses beyond the intervention period.…”

Motivating Low-Achievers—Relative Performance Feedback in Primary Schools

“…3 In a similar vein, the provision of feedback, including relative performance feedback, is often used in educational settings (Hattie & Timperley, 2007). Ample research has analyzed the effects of relative performance feedback in education on effort provision, test performance, and learning outcomes (Bursztyn & Jensen, 2015;Ashraf, Bandiera, & Lee, 2014;Azmat, Bagues, Cabrales, & Iriberri, 2019;Azmat & Iriberri, 2010;Tran & Zeckhauser, 2012;Megalokonomou & Goulas, 2018;Fischer & Wagner, 2018;Brade, Himmler, & Jäckle, 2018). Tran and Zeckhauser 1 Behavior and outcomes of peers are a reasonable source of individual reference point formation (cf.…”